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The Wanderlands #1
The Failures
From a debut voice comes a genre-breaking blend of apocalyptic sci-fi and epic fantasy about a scattered group of unlikely heroes traveling across their broken mechanical planet to stave off eternal darkness. A tightly-coiled puzzle of a thrill ride, The Failures launches The Wanderlands trilogy
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
204 people are currently reading
14613 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Liar
4 books162 followersBenjamin Liar is a writer, musician, filmmaker and game designer. He has been writing for most of his life, but The Failures is his first published novel. He has performed his music under many names and in many places and recently published a virtual reality game. His name is clearly a pseudonym, but you still shouldn’t trust anything he says.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
March 31, 2024
This review is a copy of the transcript of my video review on The Failures
Review copy provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The Failures is an extremely ambitious, mind-bending, and meticulously constructed debut novel.
Finding a new epic fantasy debut from a new author in traditional publishing is relatively rare. At the time of this review, traditional publishing seems to prefer cozy fantasy and romantasy most. But even if the state of publishing is favoring epic fantasy, a debut as twisted, ambitious, and rewarding as The Failures by Benjamin Liar would still be a once-in-a-blue-moon moment. The Failures was never in my radar. I didn’t even know about this book until I received an email from Matt Bialer, the literary agent of Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, and many other authors, including Benjamin Liar. Bialer asked me to put The Failures on my list of books to watch out for in 2024 because he and DAW Books believed reading this book felt like encountering The Name of the Wind for the first time again. The Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books of all time, and although The Failures is very different from The Name of the Wind, hearing that kind of statement from Rothfuss's agent and publisher means there was no way I could pass this up. Additionally, two of my favorite authors, Tad Williams and Christopher Ruocchio, sang their echoing praise for this book. And I am in awe of the huge scope Liar prepared for this book and trilogy.
The official premise says it nicely. The Failures is the first book in The Wanderlands trilogy by Benjamin Liar. It is a genre-breaking blend of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and epic fantasy about a scattered group of unlikely heroes traveling across their broken mechanical planet to stave off eternal darkness.
The Wanderlands—A vast machine made for reasons unknown—was broken long ago.
First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then very slowly, the whole machine—the whole world—began to go dark. Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers, degenerates, and children find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose—and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love.
For below the Keep, imprisoned in the greatest cage ever built by magicians and gods, lies the buried Giant: Kindaedystrin. It is the most powerful of its kind, and its purpose is the annihilation of all civilization. But any kind of power, no matter how terrible, is precious in the dimming Wanderlands, and those that crave it are making their moves.
All machines can be broken, and the final cracks are spreading. It will take only the careless actions of two cheerful monsters to tip the Wanderlands towards an endless dark...or help it find its way back to the light.
Where should I begin reviewing a book like The Failures? It is difficult to choose where to start; I can tell you right from the first chapter, I was instantly reminded of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series, one of my favorite series of games of all time. The utility of bonfire in the land of absolute darkness in the first chapter, and then having this as a recurring implementation in the unconventional narrative throughout the whole book, made The Failures far from what I would categorize as accessible for new readers of the genre. It is relatively demanding. The narrative doesn’t hold your hand. Terminologies and the story structure require your attention, and the book will shift the gears of your mind to work, keep asking questions, and solve answers on its own. For those of you who feel that new epic fantasy, lately and as seldom as they’re published now, tend to handhold the readers too much, The Failures is the book for you.
Every chapter, terminology, and revelation I learned from understanding the subtleties and contexts astonished me repeatedly. When you think about it, the premise of the entire novel, as I said earlier, for the lack of a better word, is so badass in premise and execution. Liar’s intricate world-building is, without a doubt, one of the primary strengths of The Failures. Having a story taking place in a land of darkness where light is precious, and then the existence of a complex and massive city hidden underneath an insanely vast mountain with a supposedly extinct giant with the capability of destroying or saving the world made The Failures a unique reading experience. When I was reading the book, I kept thinking... there’s no way this kind of novel and world-building is conjured in the span of a year or two. And I was proven right when I read the acknowledgment at the end of the book. Benjamin Liar said the conception of the world behind The Failures began 30 years ago. And I am not surprised by this. Arcane energies, automata, the behemoth, possibly multiple worlds, ancient weapons, portal-forged swords, mysterious characters with legendary deeds, and many more. The rich world-building, history, and plotting behind The Failures with the theme of darkness and light, redemption, family, ambition, and friendship is rigorous and mind-blowing. Something worth doing is worth your time doing well, and Liar ascertained that.
Mysteries were constantly evoked from every POV chapter, and Liar ramps up the storytelling quality with more answers AND questions with every page. With new answers I gained, new questions spurred in my mind. This is owed to how intriguing and engaging the storylines were. From my experience, I wouldn’t categorize The Failures as a character-driven novel. And that is usually an issue for me. The narrative is told through the perspective of several POV characters, and there is an omniscient tone and execution to the storytelling. Some parts of the narration slightly reminded me of reading The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. This puts the characters at risk of feeling distant. Thankfully, the tone and focus of the narrative are always centered on the main character within the group of POV. Plotting is one of the most significant aspects of The Failures. The story is divided into several groups of characters. First, we have the perspective of Sophie Vesachai and her companions, The Killers. Despite being foul-mouthed, reckless, and rude, Sophie’s deep protectiveness and faith toward her group of friends—such as Bear, Trik, etc—named The Killers was really good. Like Sophie, we readers are trying to find the answers to many questions in the story together. I wouldn’t dub The Killers as my favorite storyline, though.
My favorite storylines in The Failures are the perspectives of The Monsters, The Convox/Cabal, and The Lost Boys. And every one of them has their respective feel and strengths. The Monsters, the tale of Gunnar Anderson and Jackie, felt more post-apocalyptic than the other. But the darkness and stakes in their story felt powerful and palpable. Their decision and careless actions with their sword and walking sticks in the face of deadly automata and overwhelming darkness will be crucial to the state of The Wanderlands. I was always excited to be back reading Gunnar and Jackie's story. It felt like I was reading the prose version of Tsutomu Nihei's work—the mangaka responsible for Blame! and Knights of Sidonia.
And I guess, in a way, the same can also be applied to The Lost Boys, which is essentially a coming-of-age story of James and Chris D’Essan under the tutelage of Alvarez. Coming-of-age is always one of my favorite tropes in science and fantasy, and it was easy for me to get used to their story. The themes of brotherhood, the death of innocence, and childhood are explored heavily here.
Finally, we have the first POV chapter of the novel, The Convox or The Cabal. It would not be far-fetched to say this is like witnessing the perspective and scheming of the main villains—Winter, Candle, West, D’alle, Primary Gray—of The Failures. I wish I could talk about the best aspects of these POV chapters in more detail, but there is a bit of an issue in trying to explain their magnificence as spoiler-free as possible fully. The Failures is one of those circumstances where I believe the less you know about these characters, the better your reading experience will be. But rest assured, it is all brilliant. Although they might feel disjointed at first, intentionally, all of their tales are gradually leading toward a grand convergence.
Actually... There is one more POV chapter in The Failures. The Deadsmith. Your miles may vary, but unfortunately, The Deadsmith is the only POV character that did not click with me. Not as much as the previous four I mentioned. Even though similar to them, The Deadsmith story converged eventually as well; it is too bad I found only the last two chapters of his storyline engaging enough to enjoy. The convergence also did not feel as satisfying as how the narrative converged in the other four POV chapters. This was the only criticism I had with the book. But again, this is a very personal take. I am sure other readers will feel differently about this.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed. I have no doubt rereading The Failures by Benjamin Liar will be an entirely new adventure from reading it for the first time. If the pleasure of the first time reading the novel is in decoding how the twisted labyrinth fits together, the second time reading with all the knowledge acquired will be to have a deeper understanding of the author’s vision and storytelling. I have already highlighted more than 40 well-written passages for my perusals next time.
The Failures is a complex, ambitious, and madness of a puzzle designed carefully. It was as if this debut novel was penned by a veteran author in the SFF genre. Story and chronology structure-wise, the closest popular science fantasy book I can think of is The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei is the closest vibe and tone I felt from reading The Failures. As the author mentioned at the end of the book, he borrowed elements from so many giant literary authors in the SFF genre, such as Tad Williams, Ursula K. Le Guin, Dan Simmons, Stephen King, Bujold, Glen Cook, Stephen Donaldson, China Mieville, Tsutomu Nihei, and more. Through them, Liar became the incredible architect who renovated The Failures into his own distinct work of art. It is a novel 30 years in the making, and the ending of The Failures exhibited that the endgame has only just begun. Multiple plot threads have converged. And the fate of the Wanderlands will be decided in the remaining books of the trilogy. I, for one, am excited to have this kind of ambitious debut still being published by a new author. And I definitely will read the sequels whenever they are ready.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Review copy provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The Failures is an extremely ambitious, mind-bending, and meticulously constructed debut novel.
“If we are truly just cogs, and part of some great machine, then it must run poorly indeed.”
Finding a new epic fantasy debut from a new author in traditional publishing is relatively rare. At the time of this review, traditional publishing seems to prefer cozy fantasy and romantasy most. But even if the state of publishing is favoring epic fantasy, a debut as twisted, ambitious, and rewarding as The Failures by Benjamin Liar would still be a once-in-a-blue-moon moment. The Failures was never in my radar. I didn’t even know about this book until I received an email from Matt Bialer, the literary agent of Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, and many other authors, including Benjamin Liar. Bialer asked me to put The Failures on my list of books to watch out for in 2024 because he and DAW Books believed reading this book felt like encountering The Name of the Wind for the first time again. The Name of the Wind is one of my favorite books of all time, and although The Failures is very different from The Name of the Wind, hearing that kind of statement from Rothfuss's agent and publisher means there was no way I could pass this up. Additionally, two of my favorite authors, Tad Williams and Christopher Ruocchio, sang their echoing praise for this book. And I am in awe of the huge scope Liar prepared for this book and trilogy.
“Any utopia founded on the assumption that people will suddenly stop being selfish, irrational monkeys is a fool’s dream.”
The official premise says it nicely. The Failures is the first book in The Wanderlands trilogy by Benjamin Liar. It is a genre-breaking blend of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and epic fantasy about a scattered group of unlikely heroes traveling across their broken mechanical planet to stave off eternal darkness.
The Wanderlands—A vast machine made for reasons unknown—was broken long ago.
First went the sky, splintering and cracking, and then very slowly, the whole machine—the whole world—began to go dark. Following the summons of a strange dream, a scattering of adventurers, degenerates, and children find themselves drawn toward the same place: the vast underground Keep. They will discover there that they have been called for a purpose—and that purpose could be the destruction of everything they love.
For below the Keep, imprisoned in the greatest cage ever built by magicians and gods, lies the buried Giant: Kindaedystrin. It is the most powerful of its kind, and its purpose is the annihilation of all civilization. But any kind of power, no matter how terrible, is precious in the dimming Wanderlands, and those that crave it are making their moves.
All machines can be broken, and the final cracks are spreading. It will take only the careless actions of two cheerful monsters to tip the Wanderlands towards an endless dark...or help it find its way back to the light.
“This is a story about the end of the world; this is a story about monsters. From such small origins come such calamity; from such humble beginnings are born such dire endings. May the Mother have mercy on them for their innocence. And for what they did, for what they caused to happen, may the Twins rake the flesh from their bones until the end of all time.”
Where should I begin reviewing a book like The Failures? It is difficult to choose where to start; I can tell you right from the first chapter, I was instantly reminded of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series, one of my favorite series of games of all time. The utility of bonfire in the land of absolute darkness in the first chapter, and then having this as a recurring implementation in the unconventional narrative throughout the whole book, made The Failures far from what I would categorize as accessible for new readers of the genre. It is relatively demanding. The narrative doesn’t hold your hand. Terminologies and the story structure require your attention, and the book will shift the gears of your mind to work, keep asking questions, and solve answers on its own. For those of you who feel that new epic fantasy, lately and as seldom as they’re published now, tend to handhold the readers too much, The Failures is the book for you.
“A child should possess three qualities in abundance: Wonder, Curiosity, and Mischief. The child should pursue these qualities constantly, and for as long as they are able, for this is the purpose and sole responsibility of Childhood. When the child becomes an adult, of course, these qualities become the most dangerous sort of liability.”
Every chapter, terminology, and revelation I learned from understanding the subtleties and contexts astonished me repeatedly. When you think about it, the premise of the entire novel, as I said earlier, for the lack of a better word, is so badass in premise and execution. Liar’s intricate world-building is, without a doubt, one of the primary strengths of The Failures. Having a story taking place in a land of darkness where light is precious, and then the existence of a complex and massive city hidden underneath an insanely vast mountain with a supposedly extinct giant with the capability of destroying or saving the world made The Failures a unique reading experience. When I was reading the book, I kept thinking... there’s no way this kind of novel and world-building is conjured in the span of a year or two. And I was proven right when I read the acknowledgment at the end of the book. Benjamin Liar said the conception of the world behind The Failures began 30 years ago. And I am not surprised by this. Arcane energies, automata, the behemoth, possibly multiple worlds, ancient weapons, portal-forged swords, mysterious characters with legendary deeds, and many more. The rich world-building, history, and plotting behind The Failures with the theme of darkness and light, redemption, family, ambition, and friendship is rigorous and mind-blowing. Something worth doing is worth your time doing well, and Liar ascertained that.
“Like all stories about the end of the world, it is hard to know where to start, and doubly so with stories about The Monsters. Do we start when Gun met Jackie? Or, perhaps, when they got the sword, the piece of dumb steel that would play such an oversized part in such great events? Do we instead travel back to when Gun first had the dream, the dream of darkness and a Giant, and of a shining, silvery sword? Do we, perhaps, attempt to relate the unremarkable story of Gun’s childhood, in an effort to tease out reasons behind what he did? Must we peer at the young face of Jackie Aimes to see if we can find the seed of the creature she would become?”
Mysteries were constantly evoked from every POV chapter, and Liar ramps up the storytelling quality with more answers AND questions with every page. With new answers I gained, new questions spurred in my mind. This is owed to how intriguing and engaging the storylines were. From my experience, I wouldn’t categorize The Failures as a character-driven novel. And that is usually an issue for me. The narrative is told through the perspective of several POV characters, and there is an omniscient tone and execution to the storytelling. Some parts of the narration slightly reminded me of reading The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. This puts the characters at risk of feeling distant. Thankfully, the tone and focus of the narrative are always centered on the main character within the group of POV. Plotting is one of the most significant aspects of The Failures. The story is divided into several groups of characters. First, we have the perspective of Sophie Vesachai and her companions, The Killers. Despite being foul-mouthed, reckless, and rude, Sophie’s deep protectiveness and faith toward her group of friends—such as Bear, Trik, etc—named The Killers was really good. Like Sophie, we readers are trying to find the answers to many questions in the story together. I wouldn’t dub The Killers as my favorite storyline, though.
“Trust, unlike love, is a deliberate exercise of will. You can’t help who you love. But you sure as hell can choose who you trust. Even if, as is sometimes the case, you happen to love them.”
My favorite storylines in The Failures are the perspectives of The Monsters, The Convox/Cabal, and The Lost Boys. And every one of them has their respective feel and strengths. The Monsters, the tale of Gunnar Anderson and Jackie, felt more post-apocalyptic than the other. But the darkness and stakes in their story felt powerful and palpable. Their decision and careless actions with their sword and walking sticks in the face of deadly automata and overwhelming darkness will be crucial to the state of The Wanderlands. I was always excited to be back reading Gunnar and Jackie's story. It felt like I was reading the prose version of Tsutomu Nihei's work—the mangaka responsible for Blame! and Knights of Sidonia.
“First, I may be good or I may be bad, but I’m a lot more likely to be both. Like, for instance, every single other creature that ever lived. Thinking you know what someone will do just because you think they’re ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is a quick way to lose at the game you’re playing. Good people do appalling things for good reasons, and bad people do good things for selfish reasons and every combination between.
And I guess, in a way, the same can also be applied to The Lost Boys, which is essentially a coming-of-age story of James and Chris D’Essan under the tutelage of Alvarez. Coming-of-age is always one of my favorite tropes in science and fantasy, and it was easy for me to get used to their story. The themes of brotherhood, the death of innocence, and childhood are explored heavily here.
“His brother loved learning things, loved it more than anything else in the world, and this made him James’ natural enemy. Chris—and James could still hardly believe it was true—read books for fun.”
Finally, we have the first POV chapter of the novel, The Convox or The Cabal. It would not be far-fetched to say this is like witnessing the perspective and scheming of the main villains—Winter, Candle, West, D’alle, Primary Gray—of The Failures. I wish I could talk about the best aspects of these POV chapters in more detail, but there is a bit of an issue in trying to explain their magnificence as spoiler-free as possible fully. The Failures is one of those circumstances where I believe the less you know about these characters, the better your reading experience will be. But rest assured, it is all brilliant. Although they might feel disjointed at first, intentionally, all of their tales are gradually leading toward a grand convergence.
“Names are important things, defining things; magical things. The man who currently calls himself West has had many names. They are like lenses through which he projects himself. There is power in names, power over hearts, channels for the mind. “
Actually... There is one more POV chapter in The Failures. The Deadsmith. Your miles may vary, but unfortunately, The Deadsmith is the only POV character that did not click with me. Not as much as the previous four I mentioned. Even though similar to them, The Deadsmith story converged eventually as well; it is too bad I found only the last two chapters of his storyline engaging enough to enjoy. The convergence also did not feel as satisfying as how the narrative converged in the other four POV chapters. This was the only criticism I had with the book. But again, this is a very personal take. I am sure other readers will feel differently about this.
“Point being, you little stubborn sum-bitch, that you can take some dirt and you can make the most incredible things in the world, but it takes work. It takes sacrifice. It takes time, and it takes commitment. It takes wisdom.”
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed. I have no doubt rereading The Failures by Benjamin Liar will be an entirely new adventure from reading it for the first time. If the pleasure of the first time reading the novel is in decoding how the twisted labyrinth fits together, the second time reading with all the knowledge acquired will be to have a deeper understanding of the author’s vision and storytelling. I have already highlighted more than 40 well-written passages for my perusals next time.
“Only a fool steps over an unexpected weight of silver because they are hoping to find gold.”
The Failures is a complex, ambitious, and madness of a puzzle designed carefully. It was as if this debut novel was penned by a veteran author in the SFF genre. Story and chronology structure-wise, the closest popular science fantasy book I can think of is The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei is the closest vibe and tone I felt from reading The Failures. As the author mentioned at the end of the book, he borrowed elements from so many giant literary authors in the SFF genre, such as Tad Williams, Ursula K. Le Guin, Dan Simmons, Stephen King, Bujold, Glen Cook, Stephen Donaldson, China Mieville, Tsutomu Nihei, and more. Through them, Liar became the incredible architect who renovated The Failures into his own distinct work of art. It is a novel 30 years in the making, and the ending of The Failures exhibited that the endgame has only just begun. Multiple plot threads have converged. And the fate of the Wanderlands will be decided in the remaining books of the trilogy. I, for one, am excited to have this kind of ambitious debut still being published by a new author. And I definitely will read the sequels whenever they are ready.
“There’s no more time for secrets, or false names, or subterfuge. It’s time that we know each other’s stories; the long and painful and uncomfortable stories of how we ended up in the Keep, here at the end— and beginning—of everything.”
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
August 31, 2024
this is a very ambitious book with a widely expansive dystopian world. there’s multiple povs to follow and each group of characters are off on their own journey. there’s some parts of the world building that i didn’t fully grasp to be honest, but i think that’s something than can be fixed with the next book in the series. i liked the banter between the characters and im willing to continue in the series whenever the sequel comes out.
March 26, 2024
By all rights I SHOULD have loved this book, I SHOULD have turned the final page and shouted from the highest mountain about how much it wowed me, I SHOULD have been totally sucked into this story because the description reads like the blueprint to the perfect book that was written especially for my taste. And yet...none of these things unfortunately ended up happening. There was nobody who was more excited to jump into this book based on the summary, but ultimately for a variety of reasons, this was one of my more disappointing reads that left me longing for what might have been.
The first thing that stuck out for me was my feeling that every character that I encountered was kind of "too cool for the room" and over-the-top edgy. Don't get me wrong, I love edgy. Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is overflowing with edgy characters and it's a top 3 fantasy series for me. But to me it was almost like the characters were edgy for edgy's sake. It didn't ever really seem natural and was quite distracting at times if I'm being completely honest.
Another aspect that I had a difficult time with is this is a truly ambitious world and the worldbuilding was almost too unwieldy with lots of ideas, technology, mythology, you name it. I felt like it lacked some focus and almost with every chapter I was confronted with another mind-blowing creation that I had to try to wrap my head around. It was hard to actually hunker down and focus on the overall story and I actually had to put the book down many times, which is never a good thing when you are expecting to get sucked into a great story.
Not everything was bad, I thought that Benjamin Liar did have some shining moments of action and there were a couple of times when I thought, okay this is where I'm really going to connect with this story and all the rocky parts I experienced up to this point will begin to smooth. I'm sad to say that didn't happen and it took every bit of discipline I had to make myself finish.
I suspect that this book will appeal to a large segment of readers. In the end though, this just wasn't for me personally and that's okay. Not every book is going to be a hit and I just didn't enjoy this as much as I initially thought I would. On to the next one!
The first thing that stuck out for me was my feeling that every character that I encountered was kind of "too cool for the room" and over-the-top edgy. Don't get me wrong, I love edgy. Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is overflowing with edgy characters and it's a top 3 fantasy series for me. But to me it was almost like the characters were edgy for edgy's sake. It didn't ever really seem natural and was quite distracting at times if I'm being completely honest.
Another aspect that I had a difficult time with is this is a truly ambitious world and the worldbuilding was almost too unwieldy with lots of ideas, technology, mythology, you name it. I felt like it lacked some focus and almost with every chapter I was confronted with another mind-blowing creation that I had to try to wrap my head around. It was hard to actually hunker down and focus on the overall story and I actually had to put the book down many times, which is never a good thing when you are expecting to get sucked into a great story.
Not everything was bad, I thought that Benjamin Liar did have some shining moments of action and there were a couple of times when I thought, okay this is where I'm really going to connect with this story and all the rocky parts I experienced up to this point will begin to smooth. I'm sad to say that didn't happen and it took every bit of discipline I had to make myself finish.
I suspect that this book will appeal to a large segment of readers. In the end though, this just wasn't for me personally and that's okay. Not every book is going to be a hit and I just didn't enjoy this as much as I initially thought I would. On to the next one!
Read
May 13, 2025Watch full video review here: https://youtu.be/f-xxJijMmTA
I cannot express what a breath of fresh air this book was for me. I've found myself beginning to become truly disillusioned with most modern fantasy lately. So much so that I considered removing this one from my plans. Lord, I am truly happy I did not because this will be in the running for my book of the year.
What makes The Failures so unique and ambitious is the way Liar successfully mashes together numerous genres and somehow it works. Epis fantasy, science-fiction, steampunk, dystopian coming of age, portal fantasy, horror, etc. The last time I saw this done so well was with Stephen King's The Dark Tower.
Each on of the "group" POV segments feel like a different book, but in a good way. In a way where there's going to be something for everyone. And just when you're wondering how in the world he's going to converge all these characters into the same story he does it brilliantly, with more than one surprise reveal along the way.
This is an incredibly ambitious debut for Liar and I anxiously await book 2. While it isn't going to be a book for everyone, because it requires an incredible amount of patience up front, this is a book that should be a TBR-buster if you're feeling like all modern fantasy is getting mid and you want something fresh.
Many thanks to Laura at DAW Books for sending this one to me.
I cannot express what a breath of fresh air this book was for me. I've found myself beginning to become truly disillusioned with most modern fantasy lately. So much so that I considered removing this one from my plans. Lord, I am truly happy I did not because this will be in the running for my book of the year.
What makes The Failures so unique and ambitious is the way Liar successfully mashes together numerous genres and somehow it works. Epis fantasy, science-fiction, steampunk, dystopian coming of age, portal fantasy, horror, etc. The last time I saw this done so well was with Stephen King's The Dark Tower.
Each on of the "group" POV segments feel like a different book, but in a good way. In a way where there's going to be something for everyone. And just when you're wondering how in the world he's going to converge all these characters into the same story he does it brilliantly, with more than one surprise reveal along the way.
This is an incredibly ambitious debut for Liar and I anxiously await book 2. While it isn't going to be a book for everyone, because it requires an incredible amount of patience up front, this is a book that should be a TBR-buster if you're feeling like all modern fantasy is getting mid and you want something fresh.
Many thanks to Laura at DAW Books for sending this one to me.
June 23, 2024
2.5 Stars
This one had a great premise as a fantasy book with post-apocalyptic elements. I have loved a few stories with similar setups so I was hopeful I would love this one too.
Unfortunately the execution here did not work for me. Specifically my struggle was with the choice of the narrative style. The story, particularly the dialogue, was written in a modern casual style that completely pulled me out of the fantasy setting. I don't mind vulgar language and grittiness but I want an escapist experience. Instead this whole book could have been set in modern America.
This one is being compared to the likes of author's like Joe Abercrombie but I personally don't think the comparisons delivered. The characters and worldbuilding did not live up to the lord of grimdark fantasy.
Ultimately I wanted to love this one and found myself so let down. If you don't mind some of the stylistic choices, then you might enjoy this one more than me.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This one had a great premise as a fantasy book with post-apocalyptic elements. I have loved a few stories with similar setups so I was hopeful I would love this one too.
Unfortunately the execution here did not work for me. Specifically my struggle was with the choice of the narrative style. The story, particularly the dialogue, was written in a modern casual style that completely pulled me out of the fantasy setting. I don't mind vulgar language and grittiness but I want an escapist experience. Instead this whole book could have been set in modern America.
This one is being compared to the likes of author's like Joe Abercrombie but I personally don't think the comparisons delivered. The characters and worldbuilding did not live up to the lord of grimdark fantasy.
Ultimately I wanted to love this one and found myself so let down. If you don't mind some of the stylistic choices, then you might enjoy this one more than me.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 17, 2024
Without a doubt, The Failures is one of the more ambitious and unique sci-fi/fantasy debuts I’ve read in quite a while. It’s also incredibly difficult to describe and pretty weird. Imagine if Christopher Ruocchio, Gene Wolfe, Joe Abercrombie, China Mieville, Ursula LeGuin, and Neal Stephenson all decided to write a book together about a world that is engulfed in darkness. Literally—little to no light exists here, in a setting that feels both vast and mysterious, but also extremely claustrophobic. With a wide cast of characters and a heavy focus on developing them meticulously through the first half of the book, while also doing so with extra care and attention that certain surprises come out of nowhere when they land, Liar keeps your attention at an all-time high, consistently throwing in various names, nicknames, settings, worldbuilding aspects, and more. It can feel on the verge of being overwhelming at times as you really don’t want to miss anything and at the same time there is little to no true info-dumping or explanations, but it’s rather hints and clues and character building that truly drive the information about what is really going on. That said, it never felt like it crossed that threshold for me as far as not being able to get my bearings. I always felt like I had a grasp on characters, character motivations, and the general plot – or more realistically, what Benjamin Liar wanted me to think was going on – throughout the entire story.
It's not an easy read, but I found it to be vastly rewarding. While I found myself slightly underwhelmed and a little confused as to why I was reading this book when I hit the 200 page mark, as Liar’s plan starting to unfold and things began to click into place, I was caught off guard in the most satisfying way and all of sudden was so hooked into the story that I needed to know what was going to happen next. It’s a story driven by mystery and subversion and your desire to get answers to questions you might not even always know you want to ask. The dark tone and atmosphere, combined with extremely weird, individualistic and intriguing characters, and an underlying plot that continues to throw you for a loop builds and builds to a final act that is rewarding and fitting, but not necessarily explosive. This book perfectly sets up the world of the Wanderlands and the story to come and I could not be more excited to see what’s to come in the sequel.
That said, it has its flaws and most definitely will not be for everyone. In fact, I think off the top of my head I can name more readers close to me who probably will struggle with this one than ones who will find it works for them, but that said, if it clicks for you, you are in for a wild ride.
I am completely impressed. This is a book with both massive ideas, plot threads and intricacies, juxtaposed with some serious restraint in a way that manages to maintain a feeling of focus and propulsion, but also layered in intrigue. If you like sci-fi, if you like fantasy, if you like weird fiction in general, I would highly recommend you put this book on your radar because whether or not it ends up being a surprise favorite with you like it did for me, I guarantee it will be unlike any book you’ve read in quite a while.
Thank you to DAW Books and Benjamin Liar for the ARC and the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.
It's not an easy read, but I found it to be vastly rewarding. While I found myself slightly underwhelmed and a little confused as to why I was reading this book when I hit the 200 page mark, as Liar’s plan starting to unfold and things began to click into place, I was caught off guard in the most satisfying way and all of sudden was so hooked into the story that I needed to know what was going to happen next. It’s a story driven by mystery and subversion and your desire to get answers to questions you might not even always know you want to ask. The dark tone and atmosphere, combined with extremely weird, individualistic and intriguing characters, and an underlying plot that continues to throw you for a loop builds and builds to a final act that is rewarding and fitting, but not necessarily explosive. This book perfectly sets up the world of the Wanderlands and the story to come and I could not be more excited to see what’s to come in the sequel.
That said, it has its flaws and most definitely will not be for everyone. In fact, I think off the top of my head I can name more readers close to me who probably will struggle with this one than ones who will find it works for them, but that said, if it clicks for you, you are in for a wild ride.
I am completely impressed. This is a book with both massive ideas, plot threads and intricacies, juxtaposed with some serious restraint in a way that manages to maintain a feeling of focus and propulsion, but also layered in intrigue. If you like sci-fi, if you like fantasy, if you like weird fiction in general, I would highly recommend you put this book on your radar because whether or not it ends up being a surprise favorite with you like it did for me, I guarantee it will be unlike any book you’ve read in quite a while.
Thank you to DAW Books and Benjamin Liar for the ARC and the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2025
Fools on the mountain
Benjamin Liar's (a pseudonym, of course) debut novel The Failures is a big book, the first novel in the planned Wanderlands Trilogy. It has been a long time in the making. In the author's note "A Round of Applause, A Round of Shots", he tells us
The Lost Boys
The Convox/Cabal
The Monsters
The Deadsmith
The Killers
Most chapters have two titles. The first is one of the five above, telling you who the chapter will be about. Then there is a second title that refers to the events about to be recounted. In addition to these chapters, there are five chapters named "An Aside: ..." -- these are (very welcome) brief infodumps about the history of the Wanderlands.
The title is nowhere explained. You will, however, quickly guess where it comes from. These people are losers. They're losers in different ways. Some are kids who never grew up, some will remind you of Bruce Springsteen's song "Glory Days", and some -- these are the most pathetic -- believe themselves to be gods and puppeteers, directing the fates of all the lesser beings who surround them. The events take place on top of, around, and under a huge mountain. Aside from the mountain we see only a little of the Wanderlands.
The Failures is a world-building story. By the time you reach the end, you will have some grasp of what the Wanderlands are, how a part of them works, and what is likely to come. There is more than a hint that one day some of the Failures may be Glorious. I will certainly read the whole trilogy.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of The Failures.
Blog review.
Benjamin Liar's (a pseudonym, of course) debut novel The Failures is a big book, the first novel in the planned Wanderlands Trilogy. It has been a long time in the making. In the author's note "A Round of Applause, A Round of Shots", he tells us
I started writing— not this book, exactly, but exploring the place that I would eventually name The Wanderlands— over thirty years ago.The Wanderlands are a dark and broken world without a sky. Most of the story concerns the actions of five people or groups of people:
The Lost Boys
The Convox/Cabal
The Monsters
The Deadsmith
The Killers
Most chapters have two titles. The first is one of the five above, telling you who the chapter will be about. Then there is a second title that refers to the events about to be recounted. In addition to these chapters, there are five chapters named "An Aside: ..." -- these are (very welcome) brief infodumps about the history of the Wanderlands.
The title is nowhere explained. You will, however, quickly guess where it comes from. These people are losers. They're losers in different ways. Some are kids who never grew up, some will remind you of Bruce Springsteen's song "Glory Days", and some -- these are the most pathetic -- believe themselves to be gods and puppeteers, directing the fates of all the lesser beings who surround them. The events take place on top of, around, and under a huge mountain. Aside from the mountain we see only a little of the Wanderlands.
The Failures is a world-building story. By the time you reach the end, you will have some grasp of what the Wanderlands are, how a part of them works, and what is likely to come. There is more than a hint that one day some of the Failures may be Glorious. I will certainly read the whole trilogy.
Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of The Failures.
Blog review.
October 20, 2024
Finally a debut that I'm keen to reread! 🥳
Magic. Mystery. Mayhem.
Tonally apt writing, compelling story and character interactions, very intriguing world, slow buildup of mysteries as well as partial unraveling of lore, deft balancing of plot lines.
The Acknowledgements mention certain influences and the blurbs also make certain comparisons, however I got very different (and very cool) vibes. I will share few works based on my reading experience:
- Alice in Wonderland but more twisted and dark (too obvious perhaps, Wonderland, Wanderlands 😁)
- Aesthetic, atmosphere, worldbuilding elements, some characters: early Tim Burton films
- Epigraphs, steampunk elements, feeling of adventure, novelty, layered worldbuilding: Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (another excellent debut novel).
Reading The Failures was going on an adventure and being intrigued or wowed consistently. I was able to predict some of the later events from earlier foreshadowing which added to my enjoyment and the sense that this was such a well-crafted novel. Many more mysteries remain as well as investment in the characters' stories in the next book(s).
The allure of finding out what happens next in The Wanderlands is strong. I would recommend joining in for the ride!
Edit 25/08/24 Just as excellent on a reread.
Magic. Mystery. Mayhem.
Tonally apt writing, compelling story and character interactions, very intriguing world, slow buildup of mysteries as well as partial unraveling of lore, deft balancing of plot lines.
The Acknowledgements mention certain influences and the blurbs also make certain comparisons, however I got very different (and very cool) vibes. I will share few works based on my reading experience:
- Alice in Wonderland but more twisted and dark (too obvious perhaps, Wonderland, Wanderlands 😁)
- Aesthetic, atmosphere, worldbuilding elements, some characters: early Tim Burton films
- Epigraphs, steampunk elements, feeling of adventure, novelty, layered worldbuilding: Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (another excellent debut novel).
Reading The Failures was going on an adventure and being intrigued or wowed consistently. I was able to predict some of the later events from earlier foreshadowing which added to my enjoyment and the sense that this was such a well-crafted novel. Many more mysteries remain as well as investment in the characters' stories in the next book(s).
The allure of finding out what happens next in The Wanderlands is strong. I would recommend joining in for the ride!
Edit 25/08/24 Just as excellent on a reread.
August 30, 2024
Put simplest, “The Failures” is a novel that feels tailor-made for me, with style and substance; plot development, misdirection, and mystery; and characters and (most memorably) worldbuilding that hooked me immediately and kept me coming back for more - wishing there was more even still - and has me continually mad that I had other reading obligations that put it on pause repeatedly. Every time I began reading “The Failures” again - after pausing for a couple weeks before Part 2, or a week before Part 3, or several more days before Part 4 - I found myself instantly transported back to the Wanderlands and torn between binging the book (which I ultimately did; a more addictively readable book this could hardly be in my mind) and reading slowly to savor it (which I 100% will be doing on a re-read.)
In fact, “The Failures” is such a slam dunk - or perhaps homerun - execution that not only am I absolutely certain I will reread this book, I may just end up doing the “Oh, let’s re-read this ahead of Book 2’s release, whenever that is”, even though I basically never do that kind of thing. I WANT to re-read the book right now, though I can reasonably assume I’d wear out my desire to return to the world if I did that so soon.
So where do I actually begin with my praises for the debut of the Wanderlands trilogy by Benjamin Liar?
Well, I suppose I’ll just start with the first thing that struck me as fantastic: worldbuilding. Put simply, if worldbuilding - as broad a category of storytelling as it may be - is anything you are interested in, you have to read this book. You just have to; I don’t write the rules. The way details of the world slowly open and expand and come to light through the course of the whole novel is addictively enticing. Part 1 especially had me so enthralled as to the state of the world, how it got to be this way, how the different parts of it fit together, and so much more….The truth is I can’t rightly express just how masterful Liar’s worldbuilding is. The Wanderlands is one of the richest worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring in a book, and every aspect of it is just so cool.
Tied alongside the worldbuilding is the lore and implicit history of the Wanderlands. Liar drops clues and reveals bits of information all throughout the book, but I feel like *the* secrets of the world are still waiting to be discovered! I don’t feel cheated out of anything, either - I’m just loving what was fed to my overactive little brain and what else I get to guess at, including what may or may not appear or be revealed as the series continues. Silver, twistcraft, the Nine, Deadsmiths, Giants, the Land of Forest, the Keep, the DARKNESS: everything is just so cool, and handled in just the right ways for me to stay hooked without a second guess ever.
There’s an inherent mystery to “The Failures” that makes a large portion of its worth and intrigue. The worldbuilding and lore are central to this mystery - this WONDER - and they alone make this book worth experiencing. Again, if worldbuilding is your thing, you just kind of have to read this book.
As a miscellaneous point, I also appreciate the fact that Liar calls out Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series as an influence (from which he stole) for aspects of the worldbuilding. If you’ve read the series, it’s pretty obvious what parts are borrowed, but since I love DT, I just thought it was really cool. If you pay attention, you may find some other influences mixed in that make the Wanderlands a world truly its own - something unique and special, with a dark (pun intended) history to make any reader wrinkle their brains a little in curiosity. The worldbuilding is so damn good, I’m almost - ALMOST - sad that the Wanderlands is only planned as a trilogy, for it seems a shame for a world this good to see so relatively little screen (page) time. (Sure, spin-offs are an option, but still. The world we know about on the page IS utilized surprisingly fully, so maybe it actually makes complete sense….)
The mystery is not merely relegated to the lore and worldbuilding, however. The plot and character construction of this book is so incredibly intricate and intentional that I have a hard time believing it’s real sometimes. Outside of 1 chapter in the beginning of Part 2 feeling more appropriate at the end of Part 1, and 1 POV in Parts 3-4 perhaps being a little bit repetitive (to me; certainly a favorite of a lot of others), I have 0 complaints about the construction and execution of plot-arcs and POV allocation or anything similar.
“The Failures” features an ever-changing POV sequencing, where every single chapter switches to a different POV (no, not every chapter is a unique POV; I just mean that never does one storyline have more than 1 chapter in a row at a time), and Liar balances between at least 3 POVs in each part, usually 4, and technically even 5 at one point via technicality. I have to say it’s surprising that Liar managed to keep the balance so…er, *balanced* between the POVs despite the consistently rotating narrators throughout the whole book. I’m grateful, too, that he made this decision since I have a book I just finished outlining recently that features a similar rotating-narrator-with-every-chapter design that I was wondering about completely overhauling and restructuring but that I’m now confident CAN work, if it is written well enough.
But Liar’s rotation of POVs isn’t just a random artistic decision made for the hell of it either. It is, in fact, an intricately complex layering of timeline and character reveals and plots coinciding. So complex, even, that aside from that 1 chapter I hint at in early Part 2, you could hardly rearrange any of the rest of the chapters of this entire book without spoiling the coolest reveals that just litter the entire back half. Second guessing what events took place when is a large part of the intrigue of the first…3/4 for me, and it is a mystery that permeates much of the reading experience. I found myself considering the order and technicalities of the timeline with virtually every chapter as new information slowly shifted my understanding of the events going on.
But before I get too ahead of myself: I could rave all day about just how impressive the parsing of information and the ordering of the timelines and POVs and everything is in “The Failures”, but I’d be too likely to go into spoilers and that’s not worth spoiling in a review. Just trust me: if you love it when an author respects you enough to put the pieces together before he reveals what it is he’s about to reveal, Liar does it with the best of them in this book, and you won’t be disappointed. Suffice it to say that I fully intend to reread “The Failures” someday - and likely before the second book of the Wanderlands comes out. I’m not one to engage in this practice typically because of my slow reading speed and tight schedule, but this book is worth it. I’ve read books that I want to reread someday, but “The Failures” I fully intend to read again some manner of soon; it’s just so obvious to me that the little details I missed or forgot over the month-and-a-half I read this (when I would’ve liked to have it done in just a couple weeks) will make a reread go SO HARD.
I can’t wait for that.
As for the characters and POVs themselves, I think the majority of final opinions on “The Failures” will likely come down to whether or not the characters and dialogue (especially the dialogue) clicks for any individual reader. Furthermore, because there’s…like 7 or 8 POVs, consolidated to right around 5 separate storylines to pick apart and put back together, there’s plenty of opportunity for one or two to not work for some people. Of course, this is a pretty typical aspect of multi-POV stories - it’s one of the mainstays of epic fantasy (which, come to think, I should actually talk about genre briefly a bit later in the review) - but I think it’s of particular note here.
I’d say the most common POV I’ve seen some people have trouble with so far is Deadsmith, which is my personal least favorite. This is because the POV is a little repetitive and so can feel a tad boring in a couple of moments. (Don't worry too much though, as there are just as many readers for whom the The Deadsmith is their favorite.) The POVs of The Monsters and The Killers have really snappy dialogue that people might not take to, but I personally loved it. In fact, the dialogue is a large part of why The Killers is easily my favorite POV - and storyline - of the bunch.
I think Liar nails the fundamental concept of “character” as it pertains to modern sci-fi/fantasy (SFF) literature - due in no small part to the mysteries abound associated with the plotting. Everybody serves their purpose in the story, allowing the narrative and the world to breathe and shine without it being so unfathomably massive that it’s impossible to keep track of things. Hell, the world has the same dynamic relationship with the pacing of plot and character reveals in that the pieces of it click together more and more as the story goes on. But the characters are the lynchpin in my mind. Everything about “The Failures” kind of hinges on the relationships and reveals associated with the characters and the goals and actions of them. The references to and utilization of the Wanderlands' gods (and similar) also really aids in making “The Failures” feel like a story of history and mythos rather than just a generic fantasy, brilliantly offset by characters and dialogue that actually feel real to how people in the modern world interact.
On that point: I have mentioned that some people will not like the dialogue. I admit, it is an acquired taste…but if you happen to be like me and just about every person I’ve talked to in real life (outside of my religious associations), you probably swear. A lot. Like, A LOT a lot. So much that you frequently consider maybe toning it down a bit because it’s kind of a problem - the kind of swearing that even the mildest frustrations generate the “fuck” word once or twice in every sentence (dependent, of course, upon how complex that sentence is). Well, if this is indeed you, the dialogue of “The Failures” is probably the most natural dialogue in the world. Is there a curse thrown in now and again that maybe doesn’t need to be there? Sure. But the visceral nature of the vast majority of it just felt *right*. It flowed and felt the most like real-life conversations I have on a daily basis out of most books I read. You know how movies and books often feel scripted? Like, they emulate the ideal course of specific types of human interactions, but you can tell they’re crafted beyond the ability of regular people to naturally say or express on the fly? They’re streamlined versions of what our messy thoughts are trying to scramble together in the moment, and refined to be better. “The Failures” decides to do that at times, but it also spends a lot of time just letting the characters speak like your averagely crass person in the 2020s would speak, and I personally love that.
But I should circle back around to something I’ve forgotten to bring up so far: the variety in the POVs. I meant to bring this up earlier but I got sidetracked (go figure, KC getting long-winded in a book review, who would’ve thought?).
Every POV in this book is so distinctly different from the rest that I suspect every POV has the potential to be somebody’s ride-or-die favorite character, for all their own reasons. The Lost Boys are like your middle grade book heroes without the things that make Middle Grade of YA books what they are; The Monsters are like your clueless young-ish adults (actually young adults (again, -ish), like in their mid-20s, maybe late-20’s I’d guess, not teenagers) just trying to figure out how they fit in this world they find themselves in; The Convox and -Cabal are your set-dressing and auxiliary lore/setting-enhancing POVs that expand everything else; The Killers are like your average YA book heroes who've grown jaded and snarky after 20 years since their hero days. There are more, but I’ll leave it at that. These are all distinct, and have a completely unique dynamic that was my hook and addiction every time I picked this book up.
Finally, I want to conclude while discussing a little of the genre-classification of “The Failures”. While I don’t always care for the distinctions, I think this book actually warrants a conversation, because it is Science-Fantasy…but not in the ways most science-fantasy books are. I won’t pull from too many examples, but I will contrast the Wanderlands with Sun Eater.
Sun Eater is science fantasy in that it is essentially a science-fiction story, with a science fiction (space opera) setting, and thus there exists concepts and technology, etc. that most would associate with a sci-fi novel. But the writing and accessibility of it falls a little closer to the fantasy side. In short, Sun Eater is a sci-fi series that fantasy fans will have no issues enjoying.
In contrast, the Wanderlands is very much a fantasy book - epic fantasy, that is - with portions of worldbuilding and setting and lore that fall heavily into the sci-fi realm. Some of the ideas are sci-fi influenced, but they’re not the type of sci-fi that fantasy fans will be averse to, because it just feels like a unique framing for the magic and worldbuilding they’re already used to expecting. There is some sci-fi *stuff* in “The Failures" - including in a lot of areas that have yet to fleshed out yet - but just about everything from the plotting to the characters to even those sci-fi concepts themselves based on their construction in context feel like an epic fantasy reading experience. Thus, the average sci-fi fan who hasn’t read or especially isn’t really interested in fantasy might have a hard time with this book; but fantasy fans at the very least should have an absolute blast.
To borrow a line from Liar himself: “I sure as fuck did.”
In fact, “The Failures” is such a slam dunk - or perhaps homerun - execution that not only am I absolutely certain I will reread this book, I may just end up doing the “Oh, let’s re-read this ahead of Book 2’s release, whenever that is”, even though I basically never do that kind of thing. I WANT to re-read the book right now, though I can reasonably assume I’d wear out my desire to return to the world if I did that so soon.
So where do I actually begin with my praises for the debut of the Wanderlands trilogy by Benjamin Liar?
Well, I suppose I’ll just start with the first thing that struck me as fantastic: worldbuilding. Put simply, if worldbuilding - as broad a category of storytelling as it may be - is anything you are interested in, you have to read this book. You just have to; I don’t write the rules. The way details of the world slowly open and expand and come to light through the course of the whole novel is addictively enticing. Part 1 especially had me so enthralled as to the state of the world, how it got to be this way, how the different parts of it fit together, and so much more….The truth is I can’t rightly express just how masterful Liar’s worldbuilding is. The Wanderlands is one of the richest worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring in a book, and every aspect of it is just so cool.
Tied alongside the worldbuilding is the lore and implicit history of the Wanderlands. Liar drops clues and reveals bits of information all throughout the book, but I feel like *the* secrets of the world are still waiting to be discovered! I don’t feel cheated out of anything, either - I’m just loving what was fed to my overactive little brain and what else I get to guess at, including what may or may not appear or be revealed as the series continues. Silver, twistcraft, the Nine, Deadsmiths, Giants, the Land of Forest, the Keep, the DARKNESS: everything is just so cool, and handled in just the right ways for me to stay hooked without a second guess ever.
There’s an inherent mystery to “The Failures” that makes a large portion of its worth and intrigue. The worldbuilding and lore are central to this mystery - this WONDER - and they alone make this book worth experiencing. Again, if worldbuilding is your thing, you just kind of have to read this book.
As a miscellaneous point, I also appreciate the fact that Liar calls out Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series as an influence (from which he stole) for aspects of the worldbuilding. If you’ve read the series, it’s pretty obvious what parts are borrowed, but since I love DT, I just thought it was really cool. If you pay attention, you may find some other influences mixed in that make the Wanderlands a world truly its own - something unique and special, with a dark (pun intended) history to make any reader wrinkle their brains a little in curiosity. The worldbuilding is so damn good, I’m almost - ALMOST - sad that the Wanderlands is only planned as a trilogy, for it seems a shame for a world this good to see so relatively little screen (page) time. (Sure, spin-offs are an option, but still. The world we know about on the page IS utilized surprisingly fully, so maybe it actually makes complete sense….)
The mystery is not merely relegated to the lore and worldbuilding, however. The plot and character construction of this book is so incredibly intricate and intentional that I have a hard time believing it’s real sometimes. Outside of 1 chapter in the beginning of Part 2 feeling more appropriate at the end of Part 1, and 1 POV in Parts 3-4 perhaps being a little bit repetitive (to me; certainly a favorite of a lot of others), I have 0 complaints about the construction and execution of plot-arcs and POV allocation or anything similar.
“The Failures” features an ever-changing POV sequencing, where every single chapter switches to a different POV (no, not every chapter is a unique POV; I just mean that never does one storyline have more than 1 chapter in a row at a time), and Liar balances between at least 3 POVs in each part, usually 4, and technically even 5 at one point via technicality. I have to say it’s surprising that Liar managed to keep the balance so…er, *balanced* between the POVs despite the consistently rotating narrators throughout the whole book. I’m grateful, too, that he made this decision since I have a book I just finished outlining recently that features a similar rotating-narrator-with-every-chapter design that I was wondering about completely overhauling and restructuring but that I’m now confident CAN work, if it is written well enough.
But Liar’s rotation of POVs isn’t just a random artistic decision made for the hell of it either. It is, in fact, an intricately complex layering of timeline and character reveals and plots coinciding. So complex, even, that aside from that 1 chapter I hint at in early Part 2, you could hardly rearrange any of the rest of the chapters of this entire book without spoiling the coolest reveals that just litter the entire back half. Second guessing what events took place when is a large part of the intrigue of the first…3/4 for me, and it is a mystery that permeates much of the reading experience. I found myself considering the order and technicalities of the timeline with virtually every chapter as new information slowly shifted my understanding of the events going on.
But before I get too ahead of myself: I could rave all day about just how impressive the parsing of information and the ordering of the timelines and POVs and everything is in “The Failures”, but I’d be too likely to go into spoilers and that’s not worth spoiling in a review. Just trust me: if you love it when an author respects you enough to put the pieces together before he reveals what it is he’s about to reveal, Liar does it with the best of them in this book, and you won’t be disappointed. Suffice it to say that I fully intend to reread “The Failures” someday - and likely before the second book of the Wanderlands comes out. I’m not one to engage in this practice typically because of my slow reading speed and tight schedule, but this book is worth it. I’ve read books that I want to reread someday, but “The Failures” I fully intend to read again some manner of soon; it’s just so obvious to me that the little details I missed or forgot over the month-and-a-half I read this (when I would’ve liked to have it done in just a couple weeks) will make a reread go SO HARD.
I can’t wait for that.
As for the characters and POVs themselves, I think the majority of final opinions on “The Failures” will likely come down to whether or not the characters and dialogue (especially the dialogue) clicks for any individual reader. Furthermore, because there’s…like 7 or 8 POVs, consolidated to right around 5 separate storylines to pick apart and put back together, there’s plenty of opportunity for one or two to not work for some people. Of course, this is a pretty typical aspect of multi-POV stories - it’s one of the mainstays of epic fantasy (which, come to think, I should actually talk about genre briefly a bit later in the review) - but I think it’s of particular note here.
I’d say the most common POV I’ve seen some people have trouble with so far is Deadsmith, which is my personal least favorite. This is because the POV is a little repetitive and so can feel a tad boring in a couple of moments. (Don't worry too much though, as there are just as many readers for whom the The Deadsmith is their favorite.) The POVs of The Monsters and The Killers have really snappy dialogue that people might not take to, but I personally loved it. In fact, the dialogue is a large part of why The Killers is easily my favorite POV - and storyline - of the bunch.
I think Liar nails the fundamental concept of “character” as it pertains to modern sci-fi/fantasy (SFF) literature - due in no small part to the mysteries abound associated with the plotting. Everybody serves their purpose in the story, allowing the narrative and the world to breathe and shine without it being so unfathomably massive that it’s impossible to keep track of things. Hell, the world has the same dynamic relationship with the pacing of plot and character reveals in that the pieces of it click together more and more as the story goes on. But the characters are the lynchpin in my mind. Everything about “The Failures” kind of hinges on the relationships and reveals associated with the characters and the goals and actions of them. The references to and utilization of the Wanderlands' gods (and similar) also really aids in making “The Failures” feel like a story of history and mythos rather than just a generic fantasy, brilliantly offset by characters and dialogue that actually feel real to how people in the modern world interact.
On that point: I have mentioned that some people will not like the dialogue. I admit, it is an acquired taste…but if you happen to be like me and just about every person I’ve talked to in real life (outside of my religious associations), you probably swear. A lot. Like, A LOT a lot. So much that you frequently consider maybe toning it down a bit because it’s kind of a problem - the kind of swearing that even the mildest frustrations generate the “fuck” word once or twice in every sentence (dependent, of course, upon how complex that sentence is). Well, if this is indeed you, the dialogue of “The Failures” is probably the most natural dialogue in the world. Is there a curse thrown in now and again that maybe doesn’t need to be there? Sure. But the visceral nature of the vast majority of it just felt *right*. It flowed and felt the most like real-life conversations I have on a daily basis out of most books I read. You know how movies and books often feel scripted? Like, they emulate the ideal course of specific types of human interactions, but you can tell they’re crafted beyond the ability of regular people to naturally say or express on the fly? They’re streamlined versions of what our messy thoughts are trying to scramble together in the moment, and refined to be better. “The Failures” decides to do that at times, but it also spends a lot of time just letting the characters speak like your averagely crass person in the 2020s would speak, and I personally love that.
But I should circle back around to something I’ve forgotten to bring up so far: the variety in the POVs. I meant to bring this up earlier but I got sidetracked (go figure, KC getting long-winded in a book review, who would’ve thought?).
Every POV in this book is so distinctly different from the rest that I suspect every POV has the potential to be somebody’s ride-or-die favorite character, for all their own reasons. The Lost Boys are like your middle grade book heroes without the things that make Middle Grade of YA books what they are; The Monsters are like your clueless young-ish adults (actually young adults (again, -ish), like in their mid-20s, maybe late-20’s I’d guess, not teenagers) just trying to figure out how they fit in this world they find themselves in; The Convox and -Cabal are your set-dressing and auxiliary lore/setting-enhancing POVs that expand everything else; The Killers are like your average YA book heroes who've grown jaded and snarky after 20 years since their hero days. There are more, but I’ll leave it at that. These are all distinct, and have a completely unique dynamic that was my hook and addiction every time I picked this book up.
Finally, I want to conclude while discussing a little of the genre-classification of “The Failures”. While I don’t always care for the distinctions, I think this book actually warrants a conversation, because it is Science-Fantasy…but not in the ways most science-fantasy books are. I won’t pull from too many examples, but I will contrast the Wanderlands with Sun Eater.
Sun Eater is science fantasy in that it is essentially a science-fiction story, with a science fiction (space opera) setting, and thus there exists concepts and technology, etc. that most would associate with a sci-fi novel. But the writing and accessibility of it falls a little closer to the fantasy side. In short, Sun Eater is a sci-fi series that fantasy fans will have no issues enjoying.
In contrast, the Wanderlands is very much a fantasy book - epic fantasy, that is - with portions of worldbuilding and setting and lore that fall heavily into the sci-fi realm. Some of the ideas are sci-fi influenced, but they’re not the type of sci-fi that fantasy fans will be averse to, because it just feels like a unique framing for the magic and worldbuilding they’re already used to expecting. There is some sci-fi *stuff* in “The Failures" - including in a lot of areas that have yet to fleshed out yet - but just about everything from the plotting to the characters to even those sci-fi concepts themselves based on their construction in context feel like an epic fantasy reading experience. Thus, the average sci-fi fan who hasn’t read or especially isn’t really interested in fantasy might have a hard time with this book; but fantasy fans at the very least should have an absolute blast.
To borrow a line from Liar himself: “I sure as fuck did.”
December 30, 2024
What a strange book both in terms of content and my enjoyment. At first I couldn't get into it as it really just drops you in with no context. Then it starts introducing one of the most interesting and unique worlds I've read in fantasy and I absolutely could not get enough. Then as I read more I found myself getting frustrated. Frustrated because the author keeps layering on awesome worldbuilding and mysteries but I was hard to feel like the story itself was going anywhere. Characters and specifically character motivations were lacking or opaque so when something is revealed it doesn't quite hit like it should because we don't have enough information to know if it should be a big deal. Also I have some gripes with particular storylines but they would be spoilers. But I think overall they all kind of come down to the same thing. That not everything in terms of plot and characters was thought out as well as the world. And all that is to say that even though I had gripes I couldn't make myself quit thinking about this book.I always wanted to pick it up and find out more. And I definitely will be checking out the sequels because this book does kind of feel like a long prologue and I want to know where it goes.
March 12, 2024
*My reviews are always unbiased, but in the interest of transparency please note I received a free copy of this book ahead of its publication (DAW – 2nd July, 2024).*
In short, wow! The afterword mentions that the author has been working on the worldbuilding behind this book (their debut) for decades, and the devotion certainly shows. The Failures is a heavy slice of literary high fantasy, and a real treat of a read. Worlds this clever and creative do not come along every day.
We are in the Wanderlands – a strange, subterranean realm that is falling steadily into darkness. The Silver Age is ancient history, and the scant light that lingers, scattered between rogue city states and the ruins of once glowing empires, is failing. The scheming Wise toy with the last pockets of civilisation, the encroaching night brims with strange machines, old magic and monsters, and there are rumours that the end is truly nigh. After all the long years of his imprisonment, the Giant lies still awake.
No doubt about it: this is a world in need of a hero. Too bad the one it once had has fallen from grace. Sophie Vesachai saved the world way back when, but now, 20 years later, she is just one among many lost souls trying to drink their way through the endtimes. As the past converges with the present, however, Sophie finds herself once again figuring in the calculations of powerful forces. Ready or not, willing or no, it’s time to rise to the occasion.
The Failures is a book of several stories which gradually tie together as the narrative progresses. The end result is a tapestry of interwoven plotlines that it is no exaggeration to describe as seamless. So often with books like this, stronger elements of the overall narrative are undermined by weaker plot threads, but I remained thoroughly invested throughout. Aside from Sophie’s narrative, I also really liked the tension in the Deader plotline, and the complex sibling relationship between James and Chris.
The worldbuilding is one of the best elements of the book. It is clever and complex, but not overbearing. The extensive lore of the Wanderlands bleeds through very naturally, and it feels like there is always more left to reveal. Though there is a steampunk element to the setting, the overall vibe is much less derivative than that word might imply. This is a machine world that melds machines with strange, ancient magics, often blurring the line between. None of the characters are quite what they seem, even to themselves, which deepens the narrative’s sense of eeriness. The book also makes excellent use of foreshadowing, whilst still holding some of its secrets until the very end.
The dialogue is often coarse, which I would usually find irritating, but in this instance I think it does help in making the book unpretentious, which might not be the case if the characters took themselves more seriously. This is a book that deals in big ideas and complex, deeply flawed personalities – I liked that this is balanced out by a lack of pomposity. In essence, this is a book that shows its intelligence without showing off.
I do think The Failures could have been better titled. Personally, I think the title is unappealing, and I would argue it does not reflect the substance or character of the narrative. Otherwise, I think this book is simply fantastic, and I am really looking forward to revisiting the Wanderlands in future. Given that this book is the product of so many years of work, I sense it might be a while before we hear anything about a sequel, but this is an incredibly strong opening to the series, and not a book I am likely to forget.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site: https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
In short, wow! The afterword mentions that the author has been working on the worldbuilding behind this book (their debut) for decades, and the devotion certainly shows. The Failures is a heavy slice of literary high fantasy, and a real treat of a read. Worlds this clever and creative do not come along every day.
We are in the Wanderlands – a strange, subterranean realm that is falling steadily into darkness. The Silver Age is ancient history, and the scant light that lingers, scattered between rogue city states and the ruins of once glowing empires, is failing. The scheming Wise toy with the last pockets of civilisation, the encroaching night brims with strange machines, old magic and monsters, and there are rumours that the end is truly nigh. After all the long years of his imprisonment, the Giant lies still awake.
No doubt about it: this is a world in need of a hero. Too bad the one it once had has fallen from grace. Sophie Vesachai saved the world way back when, but now, 20 years later, she is just one among many lost souls trying to drink their way through the endtimes. As the past converges with the present, however, Sophie finds herself once again figuring in the calculations of powerful forces. Ready or not, willing or no, it’s time to rise to the occasion.
The Failures is a book of several stories which gradually tie together as the narrative progresses. The end result is a tapestry of interwoven plotlines that it is no exaggeration to describe as seamless. So often with books like this, stronger elements of the overall narrative are undermined by weaker plot threads, but I remained thoroughly invested throughout. Aside from Sophie’s narrative, I also really liked the tension in the Deader plotline, and the complex sibling relationship between James and Chris.
The worldbuilding is one of the best elements of the book. It is clever and complex, but not overbearing. The extensive lore of the Wanderlands bleeds through very naturally, and it feels like there is always more left to reveal. Though there is a steampunk element to the setting, the overall vibe is much less derivative than that word might imply. This is a machine world that melds machines with strange, ancient magics, often blurring the line between. None of the characters are quite what they seem, even to themselves, which deepens the narrative’s sense of eeriness. The book also makes excellent use of foreshadowing, whilst still holding some of its secrets until the very end.
The dialogue is often coarse, which I would usually find irritating, but in this instance I think it does help in making the book unpretentious, which might not be the case if the characters took themselves more seriously. This is a book that deals in big ideas and complex, deeply flawed personalities – I liked that this is balanced out by a lack of pomposity. In essence, this is a book that shows its intelligence without showing off.
I do think The Failures could have been better titled. Personally, I think the title is unappealing, and I would argue it does not reflect the substance or character of the narrative. Otherwise, I think this book is simply fantastic, and I am really looking forward to revisiting the Wanderlands in future. Given that this book is the product of so many years of work, I sense it might be a while before we hear anything about a sequel, but this is an incredibly strong opening to the series, and not a book I am likely to forget.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site: https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
June 26, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Summary Review:
"The Failures" by Benjamin Liar is an astounding debut novel that plunges you into a dark, magical world with multiple POVs and timelines. To go along with that it explores rich themes. "The Failures" is meticulously crafted and full of "a-ha moments" as Liar brilliantly weaves together this complex and epic tale. I can't wait for book two in The Wanderlands!
Full Review:
"The Failures" is an exceptionally ambitious novel and debut novel at that! Liar swings for the fences and knocks it out of the park. This book can be categorized as epic fantasy, science fiction, post apocalyptic, grimdark, steampunk, and more. Liar does not hold your hand but instead fully immerses you into the fascinating world of The Wanderlands, where darkness reigns supreme inside of a mountain civilization. You will encounter unique magic, giants (who can either save or destroy the world depending on who you ask), portals, magical artifacts, automata, and much more.
The story follows multiple POV characters across different time periods, creating a complex puzzle of timelines and narratives that come together through thrilling "a-ha moments." It is brilliantly executed. The novel explores themes such as identity, friendship, and power.
As you read, you'll find answers to your many questions, only for new ones to arise. The world’s history is expansive and deeply intriguing, leaving you eager to learn more. The author masterfully balances providing answers while setting up future installments in this exciting new series.
This is truly a remarkable debut novel. Liar meticulously crafts a complex and epic tale. The best part is that this is just the beginning. I can't wait for book two and until then "The Failures" will be living rent free in my head.
"The Failures" releases on July 2nd! Make sure to check it out. Thank you DAW for the advanced reader copy. I will definitely be purchasing my own hardback copy!
Summary Review:
"The Failures" by Benjamin Liar is an astounding debut novel that plunges you into a dark, magical world with multiple POVs and timelines. To go along with that it explores rich themes. "The Failures" is meticulously crafted and full of "a-ha moments" as Liar brilliantly weaves together this complex and epic tale. I can't wait for book two in The Wanderlands!
Full Review:
"The Failures" is an exceptionally ambitious novel and debut novel at that! Liar swings for the fences and knocks it out of the park. This book can be categorized as epic fantasy, science fiction, post apocalyptic, grimdark, steampunk, and more. Liar does not hold your hand but instead fully immerses you into the fascinating world of The Wanderlands, where darkness reigns supreme inside of a mountain civilization. You will encounter unique magic, giants (who can either save or destroy the world depending on who you ask), portals, magical artifacts, automata, and much more.
The story follows multiple POV characters across different time periods, creating a complex puzzle of timelines and narratives that come together through thrilling "a-ha moments." It is brilliantly executed. The novel explores themes such as identity, friendship, and power.
As you read, you'll find answers to your many questions, only for new ones to arise. The world’s history is expansive and deeply intriguing, leaving you eager to learn more. The author masterfully balances providing answers while setting up future installments in this exciting new series.
This is truly a remarkable debut novel. Liar meticulously crafts a complex and epic tale. The best part is that this is just the beginning. I can't wait for book two and until then "The Failures" will be living rent free in my head.
"The Failures" releases on July 2nd! Make sure to check it out. Thank you DAW for the advanced reader copy. I will definitely be purchasing my own hardback copy!
July 8, 2024
I went into The Failures with no clear expectations and came out thoroughly impressed. This debut novel exceeded all my expectations, reminding me of the game setting of Fallen London and the atmosphere of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. The story is set in a meticulously crafted, grimdark world where some very broken people rise above their brutal circumstances to make a difference.
One of the standout aspects of this novel is its ensemble of characters. Each group of characters is given ample time to develop and shine, but my favorites were The Monsters and The Killers (and their leader, who exudes a "too-tired-for-this" attitude). Girl, same. Honestly, I avoid male authors with female characters because I've been burned in the past by authors who do not tend to write women well (ie mostly as women-shaped caricatures -- don't come for me, you know it's true) - but no worries about that here. And that is very high praise coming from me.
The world-building is deep, gritty, and immersive but allows for sweetly vulnerable moments and even humor. Every detail seems meticulously crafted to enhance the story's setting while not losing sight of the plot. The characters are complex and well-developed, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journeys. Even the 'villains' are given depth and dimension, making them sympathetic and interesting.
The book's structure is like an intricate spider web, with seemingly disparate threads gradually coming together in a way that is incredibly satisfying. I love how much of a puzzle this book is. This complex and convoluted style is one of my favorites. I also appreciated how the story allows readers to understand more about the unfolding events than the characters themselves, adding an extra layer of anticipation.
Fans of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb, M.A. Carrick's Rook and Rose, and Lostetter’s The Five Penalties will likely find The Failures equally enjoyable. Did I mention that those are some of my favorites? The blend of intricate plotting, deep world-building, and complex characters makes it a must-read for those who enjoy grimdark fantasy mingled with apocalyptic sci-fi.
Thanks to DAW, the author, and MTMC Tours! This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
One of the standout aspects of this novel is its ensemble of characters. Each group of characters is given ample time to develop and shine, but my favorites were The Monsters and The Killers (and their leader, who exudes a "too-tired-for-this" attitude). Girl, same. Honestly, I avoid male authors with female characters because I've been burned in the past by authors who do not tend to write women well (ie mostly as women-shaped caricatures -- don't come for me, you know it's true) - but no worries about that here. And that is very high praise coming from me.
The world-building is deep, gritty, and immersive but allows for sweetly vulnerable moments and even humor. Every detail seems meticulously crafted to enhance the story's setting while not losing sight of the plot. The characters are complex and well-developed, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journeys. Even the 'villains' are given depth and dimension, making them sympathetic and interesting.
The book's structure is like an intricate spider web, with seemingly disparate threads gradually coming together in a way that is incredibly satisfying. I love how much of a puzzle this book is. This complex and convoluted style is one of my favorites. I also appreciated how the story allows readers to understand more about the unfolding events than the characters themselves, adding an extra layer of anticipation.
Fans of Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb, M.A. Carrick's Rook and Rose, and Lostetter’s The Five Penalties will likely find The Failures equally enjoyable. Did I mention that those are some of my favorites? The blend of intricate plotting, deep world-building, and complex characters makes it a must-read for those who enjoy grimdark fantasy mingled with apocalyptic sci-fi.
Thanks to DAW, the author, and MTMC Tours! This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
July 15, 2024
I wish I liked this book but I just wasn’t a fan. I enjoyed the first half of the book just because it was so ambitious and strange that I just had to know what the heck was going on. But after that the story seemed to not have any focus for me. You’re getting pulled all over the place.
Also every single time you get introduced to a new creepy character who goes by a different name, it’s alwaysss the same person just going by a different alias. Every single time I was like “oh I bet that’s actually (John Doe)” and sure enough it was.
There are two female characters in this book that have the exact same personality. They both have the same style of crude humor and they both love orgies and what not. There needs to be differentiation.
This is a book that is as strange as and crude as The Dark Tower and as ambitious as The Licanious Trilogy, so I’m certain this book will be a hit for a lot of people and maybe I’ll reread it one day and not understand why I felt this way but I don’t see myself giving this another shot anytime soon.
Also every single time you get introduced to a new creepy character who goes by a different name, it’s alwaysss the same person just going by a different alias. Every single time I was like “oh I bet that’s actually (John Doe)” and sure enough it was.
There are two female characters in this book that have the exact same personality. They both have the same style of crude humor and they both love orgies and what not. There needs to be differentiation.
This is a book that is as strange as and crude as The Dark Tower and as ambitious as The Licanious Trilogy, so I’m certain this book will be a hit for a lot of people and maybe I’ll reread it one day and not understand why I felt this way but I don’t see myself giving this another shot anytime soon.
February 27, 2025
I’m just so happy it’s over.
November 13, 2024
Yeeeeeeees.
Benjamin Liar, sign me the fuck up!
Benjamin Liar, sign me the fuck up!
August 26, 2025
Possibly my favorite read of 2025, this might be on track to out-do The Dark Tower for post apocalyptic fantasy. Fans of Malazan need to check this out because Liar is cooking with plot points and history that would make Erikson proud. I can't recommend this enough.
November 21, 2025
Stars: 2 out of 5
That cover is gorgeous, by the way, and drew me to the book in the first place. The blurb sounded intriguing as well. And after reading the inspirations the author took from other authors that I love, like Sanderson and Erikson, this book should have been right up my alley. Then why was it such a frustrating read?
Well, because of the squandered potential. The world is unique and intriguing. There was so much potential, but it is squandered.
The first problem is that because the world is unique, the author throws too much of everything at the reader at once, but at the same time, doesn't explain enough of how this world functions or even how it all fits together. Case in point - the different POVs from various groups (the Killers, the Monsters, the Lost Children, etc.). We alternate between them from chapter to chapter, but NOWHERE does the author mention in which chronological order these events actually happen.
For half the book, I was under the assumption that all these stories happened at the same time, just in different parts of the Wanderlands. So I was very confused when I started encountering characters from the other storylines in Sophie's neck of the woods. Or when I discovered that Candle is another certain someone we follow in another story arc. This makes for a confusing and messy narrative where the reader is left to puzzle out what even came first and what is even important.
As an aside, the whole Deadsmith story arc could have been cut out of the book without really impacting the overarching plot. Yes, he is the one who broke Candle and pushed another character on her path, but did we need chapters and chapters of his endless pursuit of his Prey? Just to see him appear for like two paragraphs at the end of the book and bugger off again? Also, what was the whole point of Lourde/West/Mr. Vulch?
The other issue is the characters. They are so larger than life that they stop being characters and become caricatures. It's hard to empathize with any of them apart from Sophie. By the end of the story, I didn't care about what happened to any of them apart from Sophie and Ben, who, surprise, surprise, were the most human of them all.
I was also disconcerted by the use of names of Christian origin in a foreign world. It's not a future Earth, it's a completely different world. So why do we have a James, a Chris, a Katherine? Or even Sophie, for that matter? I understand the Behemoth having Earth-sounding names, because they come to the Wanderlands from other worlds, some of which might be our Earth (as implied for Gun and Jackie), but the characters that are born and raised there? You don't even have to use your imagination anymore to create names, ChatGPT can do that for you, so this screams of lazy writing.
Finally, I understand that this is the first book in a series, so it has to do a lot of setup, but I also expect to read a fully finished story arc - with a beginning, a middle, and a resolution, or a return to the status quo, by the end of the book. Here, we have a cliffhanger. NOTHING is resolved for none of the characters. Yes, you could argue that Sophie's story gets some kind of resolution, but does it really? After almost 600 pages of setup, and hints at something catastrophic, we just end mid-action, almost. There are more questions than answers. Where is Winter? What is happening in the rest of the Keep? Why did the Consort take the Cold Key?
As it stands, I was left frustrated and disappointed by the end of this book, and with no desire to read the next one.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That cover is gorgeous, by the way, and drew me to the book in the first place. The blurb sounded intriguing as well. And after reading the inspirations the author took from other authors that I love, like Sanderson and Erikson, this book should have been right up my alley. Then why was it such a frustrating read?
Well, because of the squandered potential. The world is unique and intriguing. There was so much potential, but it is squandered.
The first problem is that because the world is unique, the author throws too much of everything at the reader at once, but at the same time, doesn't explain enough of how this world functions or even how it all fits together. Case in point - the different POVs from various groups (the Killers, the Monsters, the Lost Children, etc.). We alternate between them from chapter to chapter, but NOWHERE does the author mention in which chronological order these events actually happen.
For half the book, I was under the assumption that all these stories happened at the same time, just in different parts of the Wanderlands. So I was very confused when I started encountering characters from the other storylines in Sophie's neck of the woods. Or when I discovered that Candle is another certain someone we follow in another story arc. This makes for a confusing and messy narrative where the reader is left to puzzle out what even came first and what is even important.
As an aside, the whole Deadsmith story arc could have been cut out of the book without really impacting the overarching plot. Yes, he is the one who broke Candle and pushed another character on her path, but did we need chapters and chapters of his endless pursuit of his Prey? Just to see him appear for like two paragraphs at the end of the book and bugger off again? Also, what was the whole point of Lourde/West/Mr. Vulch?
The other issue is the characters. They are so larger than life that they stop being characters and become caricatures. It's hard to empathize with any of them apart from Sophie. By the end of the story, I didn't care about what happened to any of them apart from Sophie and Ben, who, surprise, surprise, were the most human of them all.
I was also disconcerted by the use of names of Christian origin in a foreign world. It's not a future Earth, it's a completely different world. So why do we have a James, a Chris, a Katherine? Or even Sophie, for that matter? I understand the Behemoth having Earth-sounding names, because they come to the Wanderlands from other worlds, some of which might be our Earth (as implied for Gun and Jackie), but the characters that are born and raised there? You don't even have to use your imagination anymore to create names, ChatGPT can do that for you, so this screams of lazy writing.
Finally, I understand that this is the first book in a series, so it has to do a lot of setup, but I also expect to read a fully finished story arc - with a beginning, a middle, and a resolution, or a return to the status quo, by the end of the book. Here, we have a cliffhanger. NOTHING is resolved for none of the characters. Yes, you could argue that Sophie's story gets some kind of resolution, but does it really? After almost 600 pages of setup, and hints at something catastrophic, we just end mid-action, almost. There are more questions than answers. Where is Winter? What is happening in the rest of the Keep? Why did the Consort take the Cold Key?
As it stands, I was left frustrated and disappointed by the end of this book, and with no desire to read the next one.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2026
This book completely pulled me in once I surrendered to its pace. The Failures is the kind of fantasy that asks for patience and then rewards it generously. The worldbuilding is heavy and deliberate, and instead of explaining everything upfront, the story trusts you to keep up. I loved that. Every new revelation quietly reframed what I thought I understood earlier, and those moments kept hitting harder the deeper I got. 👌
The tone is darker and more introspective than your typical epic fantasy. The characters are flawed, morally gray, and shaped by failure more than triumph, which made everything feel grounded and real. The unique magic system especially stood out to me.
And holy crap! What do you mean this is a debut novel? The writing is exemplary, and I genuinely lost count of how many times I was completely mindblown by the revelations. This isn’t a book that rushes or holds your hand, but once the pieces start falling into place, it becomes incredibly satisfying. I really wish I had read this sooner, and I hope more people pick it up because this is the perfect definition of a criminally underrated book.
10/5 stars ⭐️
The tone is darker and more introspective than your typical epic fantasy. The characters are flawed, morally gray, and shaped by failure more than triumph, which made everything feel grounded and real. The unique magic system especially stood out to me.
And holy crap! What do you mean this is a debut novel? The writing is exemplary, and I genuinely lost count of how many times I was completely mindblown by the revelations. This isn’t a book that rushes or holds your hand, but once the pieces start falling into place, it becomes incredibly satisfying. I really wish I had read this sooner, and I hope more people pick it up because this is the perfect definition of a criminally underrated book.
10/5 stars ⭐️
May 21, 2024
This was something special. Ambitious, weird, clever and unlike anything else I have read. This is not a light read, densely layered in multiple unclear timelines everything cleverly interweaves with itself, but trying to parse it together definitely requires some focus. Whilst billed as apocalyptic science fiction, this is very much more to the fantasy end of the spectrum than anything. There is lots of weird tech everywhere in the world of the Wanderlands, but that tech could just as easily sit in a fantasy setting as anything sci-fi. This is a study in politics, in power disparities, in what it means to be a hero or a villain. There is a lot of grey present in the moralities on display, with the boundaries between good and evil very murky - it is ultimately unclear as to what most of the major characters and players are trying to achieve. This is very much in the grimdark realm, and I love it.
The world of the Wanderlands is definitely a strange one. We have a giant mountain with a kingdom hidden within, we have a land permanently smothered in darkness, we have magical gates that allow instant transport between places. Darkness and light are key issues here - The Dark being a malevolent presence, gradually overwhelming the few remaining bastions of light. Light itself becomes a kind of currency. The world is a broken machine with no clear view as to its original function or how to fix it.
Then we have the monsters and they are a fascinating mix - some through their very humanity and some through the creepy weirdness. The Behemoth are like bored teenagers, a wonderful concept playing on the destructiveness of the idle mind. The Feral Children are downright creepy with their call and mindless violence. The Deadsmith with its subdivided soul, extreme loyalty and supernatural abilities is frankly terrifying but also has an amazing amount of pathos. The Giants are eluded to as the most destructive of beings, but we have yet to see them unleashed. Then we have the gods - the mysterious Mother the most prominent of them, sending dreams to children and madmen to enact their plans. The characters themselves are frequently monstrous in their single minded ambition - there is no thoughts about the little people in any of the actions with events frequently the slave of the egos of the mighty.
Layered over this is a Machiavellian politic. Multiple power plays all happening at the same time give a wonderful sense of chaos as the sense of who is on top at any given moment constantly fluctuates, with curveballs falling on curveballs. A Gordian knot of extreme complexity that is a delight to try to solve.
This was a revelation - a meaty and satisfying read. I am beyond excited to see where this ends up going!
The world of the Wanderlands is definitely a strange one. We have a giant mountain with a kingdom hidden within, we have a land permanently smothered in darkness, we have magical gates that allow instant transport between places. Darkness and light are key issues here - The Dark being a malevolent presence, gradually overwhelming the few remaining bastions of light. Light itself becomes a kind of currency. The world is a broken machine with no clear view as to its original function or how to fix it.
Then we have the monsters and they are a fascinating mix - some through their very humanity and some through the creepy weirdness. The Behemoth are like bored teenagers, a wonderful concept playing on the destructiveness of the idle mind. The Feral Children are downright creepy with their call and mindless violence. The Deadsmith with its subdivided soul, extreme loyalty and supernatural abilities is frankly terrifying but also has an amazing amount of pathos. The Giants are eluded to as the most destructive of beings, but we have yet to see them unleashed. Then we have the gods - the mysterious Mother the most prominent of them, sending dreams to children and madmen to enact their plans. The characters themselves are frequently monstrous in their single minded ambition - there is no thoughts about the little people in any of the actions with events frequently the slave of the egos of the mighty.
Layered over this is a Machiavellian politic. Multiple power plays all happening at the same time give a wonderful sense of chaos as the sense of who is on top at any given moment constantly fluctuates, with curveballs falling on curveballs. A Gordian knot of extreme complexity that is a delight to try to solve.
This was a revelation - a meaty and satisfying read. I am beyond excited to see where this ends up going!
June 12, 2024
This book was a surprising, enthralling and simply impressive read. I laughed, I cried, I raged!
The Failures is a hard book to explain. There's a lot happening, there's a lot of systems and places and characters. The best I can do is to say it's about a world where light is a scarce and precious resource. There is no sky like on earth, but rather something akin to a dark ceiling encompassing the Wanderlands. And the light is dwindling, and will eventually all be gone unless something is done. The story is about some who are trying to save the Wanderlands, and others who are trying to wrest control of it to serve their own goals.
But again, it's complicated. When you first start reading, you will be confused. You won't understand references and words. But like with any good sci-fi or fantasy, you get to that part where it just clicks and you're immersed and it's amazing.
There's a lot of characters in this book, and I'm sure everyone who reads has their favorite. Mine was James (and his mechanical fairy Buckle). The Deadsmith is a close second. At first I wasn't the biggest fan of sort of the edgy/sarcastic way certain characters talked (Gun, Jackie, Sophie especially) but I do think if there wasn't some sort of levity, the book would be too bleak.
I absolutely loved this book and I'm hyped as hell for the next one. I will say that this is a book that demands your attention. It rewards it immensely if you've followed along threads woven through the stories and characters. There were multiple times where I audibly went "Oh my god!" at certain moments. I honestly can't believe this is the author's debut novel.
So in conclusion: Read this book!!
Also thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
The Failures is a hard book to explain. There's a lot happening, there's a lot of systems and places and characters. The best I can do is to say it's about a world where light is a scarce and precious resource. There is no sky like on earth, but rather something akin to a dark ceiling encompassing the Wanderlands. And the light is dwindling, and will eventually all be gone unless something is done. The story is about some who are trying to save the Wanderlands, and others who are trying to wrest control of it to serve their own goals.
But again, it's complicated. When you first start reading, you will be confused. You won't understand references and words. But like with any good sci-fi or fantasy, you get to that part where it just clicks and you're immersed and it's amazing.
There's a lot of characters in this book, and I'm sure everyone who reads has their favorite. Mine was James (and his mechanical fairy Buckle). The Deadsmith is a close second. At first I wasn't the biggest fan of sort of the edgy/sarcastic way certain characters talked (Gun, Jackie, Sophie especially) but I do think if there wasn't some sort of levity, the book would be too bleak.
I absolutely loved this book and I'm hyped as hell for the next one. I will say that this is a book that demands your attention. It rewards it immensely if you've followed along threads woven through the stories and characters. There were multiple times where I audibly went "Oh my god!" at certain moments. I honestly can't believe this is the author's debut novel.
So in conclusion: Read this book!!
Also thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
May 25, 2024
original review:
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL
this book was so friggin good i can't-
rtc, certainly, but it's 3 am and it's high time i went to sleep if i want to be able to function at all tomorrow (not "today", the night lasts until i go to sleep AND IT'S ACTUALLY A REFERENCE TO THIS BOOK but also my rule #1 in life)
long review:
5 stars isn't a rating I give to many books, but here we are. I was deeply impressed with the intricacy and complexity of the worlbuilding, the sharpness of the prose and the vivid character creation and development. and ALL THIS in a debut!? I'm shocked almost as much as I am eager to read more from the author.
the Wanderlands unveiled their secrets hesitantly, one by one, never quite allowing the reader to see the whole picture, letting them catch glimpses of the labyrinth of connections. the ever-present air of mystery, paired with the quick pace of the plot, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had so much fun theorising about characters' secret identities and the ways different storylines were related to each other! (and I am proud to report I got practically all of them correct:))
Benjamin Liar is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing new authors that I've had the honour of reading books from. thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the e-ARC! I can't wait to read the second installment of the series!
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL
this book was so friggin good i can't-
rtc, certainly, but it's 3 am and it's high time i went to sleep if i want to be able to function at all tomorrow (not "today", the night lasts until i go to sleep AND IT'S ACTUALLY A REFERENCE TO THIS BOOK but also my rule #1 in life)
long review:
5 stars isn't a rating I give to many books, but here we are. I was deeply impressed with the intricacy and complexity of the worlbuilding, the sharpness of the prose and the vivid character creation and development. and ALL THIS in a debut!? I'm shocked almost as much as I am eager to read more from the author.
the Wanderlands unveiled their secrets hesitantly, one by one, never quite allowing the reader to see the whole picture, letting them catch glimpses of the labyrinth of connections. the ever-present air of mystery, paired with the quick pace of the plot, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had so much fun theorising about characters' secret identities and the ways different storylines were related to each other! (and I am proud to report I got practically all of them correct:))
Benjamin Liar is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing new authors that I've had the honour of reading books from. thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the e-ARC! I can't wait to read the second installment of the series!
Read
July 23, 2024This is my first DNF of 2024. I gave this book a better than fair chance before succumbing to the full understanding that it just was not for me. It started very slowly for me, which isn’t a deal breaker, but it never picked up enough steam to overcome gravity. I did not care at all about the characters and the plot did not flow naturally. I simply could not finish. YMMV.
My thanks to DAW via Netgalley
My thanks to DAW via Netgalley
July 30, 2025
I was recommended this book by one of the Booktubers I follow, and it proved to be a good one. I found this book refreshing in that it's different from a lot of the fantasy I've been seeing in the last few years. That said, it also wears its influences on its sleeve, as the author notes in the afterword. I especially see notes of China Mieville in these pages. The author evokes a weird steam punk kind of world in its last days. Yes, this is apocalyptic fiction, but not in the way I usually expect it. The story follows multiple characters and character groups which ingeniously come together in the end.
I will definitely check out book 2 in this series when it comes out.
I will definitely check out book 2 in this series when it comes out.
August 29, 2024
I can only describe this book as magical. At the bookstore, I was looking for a new book but passed over everything. Something was telling me “this book isn’t it, not that book”. When I came across The Failures, I knew this was exactly the book I had been thinking of.
I’ve been unable to put the book down until completing it and, wow. Mr. Liar, YOU are a wizard. I’ve never read a book with such characters, PEOPLE, that seem almost palpable. I turned the last page feeling so many emotions. Thank you for that. Absolutely biting my nails for the next instalment in this series, to rejoin this wonderful world. If I could give this book 10 stars, it still would not be enough.
I’ve been unable to put the book down until completing it and, wow. Mr. Liar, YOU are a wizard. I’ve never read a book with such characters, PEOPLE, that seem almost palpable. I turned the last page feeling so many emotions. Thank you for that. Absolutely biting my nails for the next instalment in this series, to rejoin this wonderful world. If I could give this book 10 stars, it still would not be enough.
July 15, 2024
Tons of wonderful ideas squandered by too many edgey characters and too similar dialog.
October 31, 2025
More like 4.5;
What a great book! I loved how everything came together in the end, such a smart story. Very mysterious, and even if you won’t understand anything in the beginning, you’ll get in throughout the book.
I really recommend it and I’m looking forward to the next book.
What a great book! I loved how everything came together in the end, such a smart story. Very mysterious, and even if you won’t understand anything in the beginning, you’ll get in throughout the book.
I really recommend it and I’m looking forward to the next book.
August 28, 2024
Fantastic!!! Can't wait for next one!!!
June 16, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for review copy provided by in exchange for an honest review.
So, this is marketed as the authors first published novel - but it doesn't read as such. It seems as a work of very experienced author and if there's one word I could use to describe The Failures, that word would be - ambitious.
To be perfectly honest, its ambition seems to be the biggest failure of The Failures. The novel reads almost as three different novels set in one tome, that begin in medias res, almost like Erikson's Gardens of the Moon, but with dense language and heavy prose style that is present in later Malazan novels, which makes it difficult to engage with characters presented in one story arc, which brings its own set of difficulties since the novel is primarily character driven.
I was really impressed by the world building, prose level and storytelling in general, but the book simply tries to achieve too much too soon. To be honest, I was more interested in the events mentioned as the past of one of the main characters than the issues at hand. OF course, the world of the book seems to be a character in its own right, but this simply doesn't seem enough to overcome overly dry and complicated 2/3 of the novel. On the other hand, 1/3 is almost Abercrombian in its execution, and that part is the most enjoyable to read.
To be perfectly honest, if I didn't got this one via NetGalley I would probably dnf it, but I can't ignore extremely well executed prose, world building and even great characterization - it's just that throughout the 2/3 of the novel I felt that it simply tries too hard to be Malazan, or First Law or even Dying Earth.
The good thing is that we do have a new voice in the genre of fantasy, an author who is obviously well proficient and in the years to come can provide us with some extremely enjoyable reading - only if they can just tone it down a notch or two.
3*
So, this is marketed as the authors first published novel - but it doesn't read as such. It seems as a work of very experienced author and if there's one word I could use to describe The Failures, that word would be - ambitious.
To be perfectly honest, its ambition seems to be the biggest failure of The Failures. The novel reads almost as three different novels set in one tome, that begin in medias res, almost like Erikson's Gardens of the Moon, but with dense language and heavy prose style that is present in later Malazan novels, which makes it difficult to engage with characters presented in one story arc, which brings its own set of difficulties since the novel is primarily character driven.
I was really impressed by the world building, prose level and storytelling in general, but the book simply tries to achieve too much too soon. To be honest, I was more interested in the events mentioned as the past of one of the main characters than the issues at hand. OF course, the world of the book seems to be a character in its own right, but this simply doesn't seem enough to overcome overly dry and complicated 2/3 of the novel. On the other hand, 1/3 is almost Abercrombian in its execution, and that part is the most enjoyable to read.
To be perfectly honest, if I didn't got this one via NetGalley I would probably dnf it, but I can't ignore extremely well executed prose, world building and even great characterization - it's just that throughout the 2/3 of the novel I felt that it simply tries too hard to be Malazan, or First Law or even Dying Earth.
The good thing is that we do have a new voice in the genre of fantasy, an author who is obviously well proficient and in the years to come can provide us with some extremely enjoyable reading - only if they can just tone it down a notch or two.
3*
May 7, 2024
A new dystopian fantasy was offered for review by DAW BOOKS & I was DELIGHTED to receive it in the mail! I’m happily giving this review for the nerd privilege of reading it before it gets famous & adapted. I won’t retread the entire premise because others have done that very well. The themes of this EPIC world building of the Wanderlands are sometimes hidden in the darkness it describes so well. Yes…there is no sky…no sunshine…no trees. There is a MOUNTAIN that holds all the small communities on different levels. There is magic but it’s outlawed…and there are monsters …but not in the Keep..or bigger towns.
Part one follows three groups of people; The Convox/Cabal are powerful people with a Grand Plan. The KILLERS are a crew of friends that have war heroes & outlaws equally represented; the war is long over & now they just want to party all night long. The MONSTERS are two people who got drunk & followed a dream ; now they have no idea where they are …why it’s so dark…where the people are or where their next meal in coming from.
Part Two introduces The LOST BOYS; two brothers that live with their Uncle, who is trying to teach them the family trade of twist craft…the primary power source in their community. But one brother had a dream & he doesn’t want to share it with his older, popular brother.
Part Three introduces the DEADSMITH…part assassin, part machine…completely mysterious.
Part Four is where they all eventually meet ; some chapters are in the past & some the present day & some are epic battles that echo the war of 20 years ago. The Monsters brought the SWORD…and they don’t know why everyone is trying to kill them for it. They are TIRED and HUNGRY.
Sophie Vesachai just wants to party at her favorite club, but someone is turning out the lights and she has to find out WHY. Someone wants a certain powerful BOOK she hid long time ago & they will hunt her crew down to get it.
The LOST BOYS found what they were looking for…and the wrong people know they have the Silver Key…and life will never be the same.
As a whole …this book echoes the mystery & magic of Stephen King & Brandon Sanderson; I was delighted when the author stated as much in the afterword. This IS NOT an easy read; I had to stop and start several times. The author states that China Mieville was a big influence, as was Stephenson’s Thomas Covenant. Others that I haven’t read are also given homage. I expected to fall in deep dystopian love with the Underlands; unfortunately, I was confused a lot. The divisions between the past & future are not defined, so I spent too much time rearranging the timeline of events. Several characters have multiple names so I almost needed a scorecard to keep them straight. The DEADSMITH chapters I had to just skim because it added excess weight to an already unbalanced storyline.
The world building is epic & unique…I enjoyed the little in between chapters giving hints about why this reality is so different & why there are Doors to the sunshine world. But I sure would have enjoyed it more if the chapters were arranged to flow more smoothly.
Part one follows three groups of people; The Convox/Cabal are powerful people with a Grand Plan. The KILLERS are a crew of friends that have war heroes & outlaws equally represented; the war is long over & now they just want to party all night long. The MONSTERS are two people who got drunk & followed a dream ; now they have no idea where they are …why it’s so dark…where the people are or where their next meal in coming from.
Part Two introduces The LOST BOYS; two brothers that live with their Uncle, who is trying to teach them the family trade of twist craft…the primary power source in their community. But one brother had a dream & he doesn’t want to share it with his older, popular brother.
Part Three introduces the DEADSMITH…part assassin, part machine…completely mysterious.
Part Four is where they all eventually meet ; some chapters are in the past & some the present day & some are epic battles that echo the war of 20 years ago. The Monsters brought the SWORD…and they don’t know why everyone is trying to kill them for it. They are TIRED and HUNGRY.
Sophie Vesachai just wants to party at her favorite club, but someone is turning out the lights and she has to find out WHY. Someone wants a certain powerful BOOK she hid long time ago & they will hunt her crew down to get it.
The LOST BOYS found what they were looking for…and the wrong people know they have the Silver Key…and life will never be the same.
As a whole …this book echoes the mystery & magic of Stephen King & Brandon Sanderson; I was delighted when the author stated as much in the afterword. This IS NOT an easy read; I had to stop and start several times. The author states that China Mieville was a big influence, as was Stephenson’s Thomas Covenant. Others that I haven’t read are also given homage. I expected to fall in deep dystopian love with the Underlands; unfortunately, I was confused a lot. The divisions between the past & future are not defined, so I spent too much time rearranging the timeline of events. Several characters have multiple names so I almost needed a scorecard to keep them straight. The DEADSMITH chapters I had to just skim because it added excess weight to an already unbalanced storyline.
The world building is epic & unique…I enjoyed the little in between chapters giving hints about why this reality is so different & why there are Doors to the sunshine world. But I sure would have enjoyed it more if the chapters were arranged to flow more smoothly.
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